Bob Buchanan
Well-known member
Can you imagine what it was like before air cards, smartphones, satellite ISP's, no WiFi in parks or coffee shops - and most cell phones in bags? And the frustration for full or part timers trying to just get their email? Many of us started that way.
My entry into the progress was with a portable acoustical coupler with line out the window of my RV by a pay phone. That's why the 1st QZ folk liked to park by the ranger station with access that pay phone booth. The couplers worked great - but not so well on pay phones.
Can't remember the year -- but Datastorm was building and beta testing their auto roof mount Satellite together with DirecWay (now Hughesnet) service. They, their dealers, and beta testers tried everyway to discourage the manual set up of a sat dish.
Fortunately, a sat dealer arrived at the QZ big show with a $600 package that included a one day training program, a dish meant for home install, a 2x4' piece of plywood, a CW analog meter plus a package of shims to level the plywood on the ground. Most everyone I chatted w/about this discouraged my purchase other than Ron Ruward. I bought the 1st unit by a forum member, and Ron got the second one. We figured that what the Datastorm folk were preaching about the FCC would never happen to the manual set up folk, and if it did, our worst scenario would be the loss of $600. As it turned out, within 2 years, most all Datastorm dealers were selling tripod systems.
We were all moving to Tripods, then manual Roof mounts, and the rest is history. Datastorms were selling for 6-9,000 according to complexity of install and tripod systems for between $1600-$2000. Life was good for all concerned.
Then came the air card, then the air card that really worked well, that gave good enough coverage for most. Used Datastorm auto mounts are now selling for a fraction of their original cost, very few are buying tripod systems -- and the dealer that started the plywood systems closed doors and retired last month.
About 2 years ago I moved to an auto mount by a company in Canada that supported both Hughes and Starband plus others around the world. Mine was via Starband. When Starband upgraded their modem to the Nova, my 481 became obsolete and no longer sold by Starband -- and my mount would not work with a Nova. The Canadian Co. upgraded their SW but also required a $2300 upgraded controller. And that signaled the end of my Satellite Internet days.
In the past 3 days I have had Wally remove my auto mount and replace it with 2 solar panels. Have also purchased, installed and configured a Vz aircard and cradlepoint router. It was a bit sad, but OTOH, great to continue moving ahead as the technology moves ahead. But, hey, as a programmer beginning with vacuum tube machines in the early 60's, I have become very familiar with the exponential path of the technology curve. It has been and continues to be a great ride.
My entry into the progress was with a portable acoustical coupler with line out the window of my RV by a pay phone. That's why the 1st QZ folk liked to park by the ranger station with access that pay phone booth. The couplers worked great - but not so well on pay phones.
Can't remember the year -- but Datastorm was building and beta testing their auto roof mount Satellite together with DirecWay (now Hughesnet) service. They, their dealers, and beta testers tried everyway to discourage the manual set up of a sat dish.
Fortunately, a sat dealer arrived at the QZ big show with a $600 package that included a one day training program, a dish meant for home install, a 2x4' piece of plywood, a CW analog meter plus a package of shims to level the plywood on the ground. Most everyone I chatted w/about this discouraged my purchase other than Ron Ruward. I bought the 1st unit by a forum member, and Ron got the second one. We figured that what the Datastorm folk were preaching about the FCC would never happen to the manual set up folk, and if it did, our worst scenario would be the loss of $600. As it turned out, within 2 years, most all Datastorm dealers were selling tripod systems.
We were all moving to Tripods, then manual Roof mounts, and the rest is history. Datastorms were selling for 6-9,000 according to complexity of install and tripod systems for between $1600-$2000. Life was good for all concerned.
Then came the air card, then the air card that really worked well, that gave good enough coverage for most. Used Datastorm auto mounts are now selling for a fraction of their original cost, very few are buying tripod systems -- and the dealer that started the plywood systems closed doors and retired last month.
About 2 years ago I moved to an auto mount by a company in Canada that supported both Hughes and Starband plus others around the world. Mine was via Starband. When Starband upgraded their modem to the Nova, my 481 became obsolete and no longer sold by Starband -- and my mount would not work with a Nova. The Canadian Co. upgraded their SW but also required a $2300 upgraded controller. And that signaled the end of my Satellite Internet days.
In the past 3 days I have had Wally remove my auto mount and replace it with 2 solar panels. Have also purchased, installed and configured a Vz aircard and cradlepoint router. It was a bit sad, but OTOH, great to continue moving ahead as the technology moves ahead. But, hey, as a programmer beginning with vacuum tube machines in the early 60's, I have become very familiar with the exponential path of the technology curve. It has been and continues to be a great ride.
